Friday, June 23, 2006

malacañang predicament

To allow or to stop impeachment. To surface the truth or to live in doubt. To confirm legitimacy or to govern under the shadow of illegitimacy. These constitute the big Malacañang predicament of the days ahead.

The choice among the above alternatives will spell what is in store for the administration in the coming years. Will it be a stable government or one that is repeatedly challenged in its existence? Will it be a trusted and respectable government or one that has to bear continuous accusations and repeated indictments?

Unless the Malacañang predicament is resolved for the better, then it becomes the worst for the government as well as for the people. The adverse effects of such a big predicament are already on hard. They constitute the basic causal factor of national poverty and public disorientation, the division of people and the beclouding of the country’s future.

Impeachment is said to be a political matter. But is it purely a political issue divested of any and all moral elements? Considered a partisan issue, is impeachment merely reduced to the tyranny of political allies, to the issue of majority party?

Woe to a country if politicians were above the norm of right or wrong, the difference between licit and illicit, the distinction between what is moral and immoral. Precisely, the politicians who think and act with utter disregard between virtue and vice, are those who are big social liabilities. They are precisely the promoters of public injustice, disorder and discontent.

It is disastrous both for social justice and peace if politics and ethics were altogether divorced. If politicians and morals were irrelevant to each other. Precisely, at the bottom of all government lies, cheatings and stealing happen when those holding public offices think, live and act without ethical principles, above moral norms.

Only the resolution of the Malacañang predicament in favor of justice and truth would give a closure to the long on-going public dissent and resentment, would make the country move on, would bring about public order and peace.

Oscar Cruz

About The Blogger

Most Reverend Oscar V. Cruz, D.D. is the Archbishop-Emeritus of Lingayen-Dagupan. He is currently the Judicial Vicar of the National Tribunal of Appeals. He is a prolific writer, having published several dozen books mostly on judicial and moral matters. His most recent book is about the Social Doctrines of the Church. He also has a blog where he posts regularly. He is an avid coin collector and dabbles in woodworking art.